In this episode of Bench & Bar:

The push to rein in discovery abuse

Retired Los Angeles County Superior Court Independent Calendar Judge Mel Red Recana responds to Judge Lawrence Riff's 10 Principles for Fixing Civil Discovery, arguing that cultural reform alone isn't enough. Recana calls for embedding the principles into daily courtroom practice, local rules, and legislation modeled after CCP 2016.090 with enforceable sanctions for violations.

Deja vu: Lawyer's mistakes might mean retrying the same PI case

Daniel V. Kohls, neutral at Signature Resolution, breaks down why a clear attorney error doesn't automatically produce a viable malpractice claim. Under California's trial-within-a-trial methodology, plaintiffs must relitigate the underlying personal injury case to establish causation — and if that case lacked merit or the original judgment was uncollectible, the malpractice claim fails with it.

How Rutgers' $500M fumble can help reform college football

Frank N. Darras, founding partner at DarrasLaw, uses Rutgers University's 516-million-dollar athletics deficit as a case study in what happens when elite conference ambitions outpace financial oversight. Darras proposes a dedicated college football commissioner with authority to set NIL standards, enforce spending caps, and require independent audits — backed by a governing charter with real legal teeth.